Hi everyone! I built my PC three years ago, and I recently upgraded my CPU to an AMD 7800X3D, along with a new motherboard, RAM, and cooler. I've read that it's a good idea to reinstall Windows after such a hardware change, but I'm not sure how to do that using the same SSD. I only have my old USB copy of Windows from three years ago and the key. I'd like to remove any remnants of my old Intel setup to prevent conflicts. Interestingly, my Windows is still activated, my games are running well, and the new CPU is performing fine. Since I don't mind losing my data (it's primarily a gaming PC), I'm okay with redownloading my games. Sorry if this is a common question; I'm just feeling a bit lost. Thanks for any help, and have a great day!
1 Answer
You should first get the Windows Media Creation Tool to download the latest version of Windows. Use this tool to create a new installation USB, and you can still activate using your old key. Before you start, make sure to back up any files you want to save to an external drive. Once that's done, just boot from the USB and go ahead with the Windows installation.
That said, if everything is functioning well already, a full reinstall isn't strictly necessary. You could just uninstall the old drivers and software from your Intel setup, then run DISM and SFC tools to fix any potential Windows issues. Don't forget to ensure your motherboard BIOS is up to date and load the latest drivers from AMD's site for optimal performance!
Do I need to delete my old boot partition? Or will the new installation just overwrite it? I can create Windows on a USB drive instead of using an external. Losing data isn’t a problem for me since it’s mostly a gaming PC, but how do I actually boot into the USB and set it to create or overwrite the new partition? Sorry for all the questions, and I appreciate your help! I've already downloaded the necessary chipset drivers and updated the BIOS, so I think I'm good there.